The Dukedom of Lifyn
On the continent of Annwyn, to the southwest of Manshaven are two areas of land granted to the sons of King Nelson. Once this land was simply made up of cities without borders to distinguish them as duchies. However, once his sons came of age, borders were placed and the young men were given land. The north of this offset section of Manshaven came to be called Lifyn. Canterdale This capitol of Lifyn is a bustling trade city wrought with crime and thriving thanks to it. Because of the Aeron Strait, the city sees a great deal of trade, meaning heavy income for the nobility and merchant class. Due to the wealth of the capital, Lifyn has always been lax with arrests. Canterdale Prison Despite crime being a secondary care of the Canterdale guard, the introduction of slavery has the prison seeing more arrests than usual. Nobility from all over Lifyn gather at Canterdale Prison for weekly auctions wherein prisoners are bid upon based on their skills. Warden Grayson was head of the prison for nearly thirty years until his recent demise at the hands of several escaped prisoners who rebelled against slavery. His daughter Amelia Grayson has since taken up the role of warden. While she loved and revered her father, she opposes slavery and has written to Prince Landon on the matter, urging him to reconsider its use in Lifyn. Amelia is young but experienced, as she has made more arrests than any guard in Lifyn’s history. Waterwheel District Along the Aeron Strait is the Waterwheel District where many shops reside. Businesses rely on water wheels to power machinery such as tilt-hammers for pounding rock and ore, and textile mills. Most interestingly to the denizens and travelers of Canterdale, however, are the wheels which power the billows of tavern ovens and gristmills which aid in the beer-making process. Cregyn and the Murex Farms Cregyn is a lively city filled with music, sports matches, and proud workers. Being a coastal city, its seafood is quite popular. Cregyn is home to the Murex Farms, a stretch of ocean dedicated to the raising of murex snails. These snails, which have long white shells with many spines, produce a purple mucus substance. Dye farmers originally killed the creatures for the single drop of dye each one produces, making the process of raising new generations of snails very slow. However, today, the workers have found they need only disturb the snails to make them secrete the mucus, leaving the snails to live on to produce more over time. As purple is one of the most expensive and rare dyes, often associated with royalty, Cregyn is very financially successful. Traditionally, homes and businesses in Cregyn are decorated with the spiny murex shells to honor the creatures which yield the city’s livelihood. Frampton Magical items may be hard to come by, but Frampton is a veritable treasury of fantastical pieces. Enchanted goods can scarcely be found elsewhere. Between the two districts of the town (factorial and market) is a massive lake simply called Lake Frampton. Its shores are rocky and its waters frigid, but its fishing is excellent. The city is medium in size and is ruled by five council members called The Trusted who vote on laws and regulations so long as they are in keeping with national laws. There are weekly meetings townsfolk can attend to advise The Trusted on issues involving Frampton. Current members of the Trusted include * Rufus Devonshire * Melissa Sparrow * Tonya Harriet * Jonathan Smart * Gabriel Donohue Frampton also hosts a school of wizardry which boasts students of all ages and skill sets. It is simply called the Frampton School of Magic. Most students choose to undertake one school of magic from a list of seven of the traditional schools. Necromancy, however, is strictly forbidden and rebuked. Students who excel with certain schools are awarded pins to wear proudly. Notable landmarks in Lifyn Aeron Strait Separating Lifyn and Roychester from Annwyn’s mainland is the Aeron Strait, a long stretch of water connecting the Dismal Expanse to the sea south of the continent. Glowerwood While most stick to well-worn the path which cuts through Glowerwood, brave souls will sometimes go deeper into the woods to explore. None have ever been reported to return from deviating from the forest path. Those who cross through the forest report whispers in the trees and shadows rushing about, on top of all the creatures which gladly show themselves to attack. Monsters reported thus far include giant insects, wisps, and elk out of a fervent nightmare. There is legend of a great treasure within Glowerwood. Extremely rare ancient texts mention a life-giving spring. Many have entered the forest in search of it, never to return again. It is said that once one leaves the path, they cannot find their way back. There have been dozens of missing persons cases in Glowerwood in recent history. Mount Porphyry and the Trembling Peaks 'T'he Trembling Peaks are steep, crumbling mountains which run through the south half of Lifyn. There are several paths through them; however, it is popularly advised that travelers travel south to Frampton or north along the Phen River before crossing the hills which mark the beginning of the Trembling Peaks. Named for the purple igneous rock which can be found all along the Trembling Peaks, Mount Porphyry is a tall, steep stratovolcano in the north of the mountain range. In ancient journals from Frampton’s savior Jettison Crow, there are outlines of many rooms containing puzzles and trials of character. There is considerable belief that these plans were applied to Mount Porphyry, as the cryptic journal entries seem to indicate that these chambers were in fact actualized, alongside sketches of cave rooms and lists of spells that might aid in excavation.